Project Details
Projekt
A Elastocaloric Shape Memory Cooling Demonstrator Unit - Design & Fabrication; Modeling; Material Optimization
Applicants
Professor Dr.-Ing. Gunther Eggeler; Professor Dr. Andreas Schütze; Professor Dr.-Ing. Stefan Seelecke
Subject Area
Synthesis and Properties of Functional Materials
Term
from 2012 to 2019
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 226962214
The main objective of this proposal is the development of acontinuously operating air cooling demonstrator unit based on NiTishape memory alloys. In continuation of the collaboration alreadyestablished during the first SPP1599 funding period (C1, C2 and C3),this task will be addressed by joint efforts of MechatronicsEngineering at Saarland University (Seelecke, Schütze) and MaterialsScience at Ruhr University Bochum (Eggeler, Frenzel). While in thefirst phase the focus was primarily on the basic understanding of theunderlying principles of an elastocaloric cooling process, the focusduring the second phase will be on the transformation of thisunderstanding into a working cooling unit. As in the previous phase this will require an interdisciplinary approach from Material Science and Mechatronics Engineering (Schütze, Seelecke: Design and fabrication of cooling unit), (Seelecke: Model development) and(Eggeler, Frenzel: Materials optimization). The unit will operate with elastocalorically optimized NiTi-based wires and will enable a first assessment of the cooling effect under realistic conditions. It is also intended to be used as a means for cross-platform comparison with other ferroic cooling methods and a conventional vapor-compressionbased process. We will address the project in a systematic way by implementing the following approach: 1) We will extend our current scientific demonstrator platform for single-wire operation to include air cooling effects, allowing for a detailed study of the interplay between material properties and process parameters. 2) We will design and fabricate a continuously operating, rotatory multi-wire air-coolingdemonstrator system based on the process insights gained in 1). 3) Different elastocalorically optimized wire materials in various sizes willbe integrated into the above demonstrator system, and their coolingperformance will subsequently be characterized under processconditions. 4) Modeling efforts will be validated against single-wire scientific platform data for various elastocalorically optimized alloys. They will subsequently be used to support the design of the multi-wire engine through device-level simulations and to develop a prediction tool for its cooling performance.
DFG Programme
Priority Programmes
Co-Investigator
Professor Dr.-Ing. Jan Frenzel
